Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew spoke at the 50th World Economic Forum in Davos about the role of religious faith in creating a sustainable world with social cohesion, the significance of dialogue as a key instrument in this regard while condemning all forms of violence and religious intolerance.
“Faith can succeed in its mission and fulfill the role of cohesion and sustainability through dialogue and witness in the world,” noted the Ecumenical Patriarch.
He also said that it was tragic that many people today tended to identify religion with terrorism, war and intolerance.
In another point in his speech, he emphasized that world peace and justice could not exist without the contribution and cooperation of religions.
The Ecumenical Patriarch noted that in that context the Ecumenical Patriarchate was at the forefront of ecumenical organizations, such as the World Council of Churches, and supported and promoted bilateral dialogue with non-Orthodox Christians, as well as with Muslims and Jews in the Middle East.
The Ecumenical Patriarch also expressed his reservation when modern Europe is described as “post-Christian”. “We must admit that the decline of Christian consciousness in Europe ultimately has a negative impact on Europe’s identity and self-awareness.”
Referring to the end of the Cold War period in 1989 and the emergence of a multi-centred world, Patriarch Bartholomew spoke about the role of the Orthodox Church in the current crisis.
“In many geopolitical contexts worldwide, Orthodoxy has always been and will continue to be a religious minority with a global message and the legacy a legacy of long-standing presence. In areas like the Middle East, Southeast Europe and the Balkans, Orthodox Christian faith has shaped the religious landscape for centuries or even millennia. The challenges in this context are real and urgent. Especially in the Middle East, the survival of Christianity is now balanced on a knife edge. During the war in Syria and the uprising of the so-called “Islamic State,” news reports and articles regularly reminded us of the status of Christians in the Middle East and their constant struggle to survive in the very region where Christianity was born.”